ARCHIVED - Guardia Civil discover illegal desalination plant at farm near Camposol

Three people under investigation in 'Operation Saladilla', damage to the environment estimated to exceed 100,000 euros

A two-year investigation by the Guardia Civil in collaboration with the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS), the Water and Rivers Authority, has uncovered a network that used an  illegal desalination plant in the farmland of Mazarrón adjacent to the Camposol development. 'Operation Saladilla' has so far resulted in the investigation of three people for alleged crimes against natural resources and stealing water and an expert report estimates the damage after the unlawful diversion of the public water course at a cost of more than 100,000 euros.

The Guardia began the investigation in April 2021, when the CHS reported the existence of a desalination plant located in the Mazarrón area of El Saladillo operating without authorisation. The officers of the Guardia Civil Nature Protection Service (Seprona) started investigations and uncovered the specific location where the desalination plant was sited and the alleged illegal wells from where the water was extracted.

The investigations carried out so far have revealed that the owner of the plant used the water for his own crops and in addition, according to sources close to the investigation, sold it to third parties for the irrigation of other farms located on unirrigated land.

After analysing the water treated in the illegal plant, it was found that the desalination of illegally collected water resulted in a by-product which was then allegedly discharged without control into an unwaterproofed pond, showed high levels of salinity. This fact, together with its massive extraction, the sources remarked, caused both an overexploitation of the aquifer (underground water reserve) in the area and a decrease in water quality.

The investigation carried out discovered an established link between the person who allegedly carried out the illegal collection of groundwater and those who consumed it. Further investigation revealed that while carrying out this criminal practice they probably irrigated about 40 hectares of land.

'Operation Saladilla' has so far resulted with the investigation of three people and three companies as alleged perpetrators of crimes against natural resources and theft of water. Investigating Court number 3 of Totana has taken charge of the case.

Recently the Guardia Civil carried out investigations after a wildfire in the El Saladillo farmlands which resulted in a farmer being accused of starting the blaze. 

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